£1billion jackpot will fund long-awaited Bristol Metro train network
A REVOLUTION in the way Bristol and the surrounding area is run was being announced today.
The Post can reveal that a £1billion City Deal will provide money to pay for the long-awaited Bristol Metro train network, put a local body in charge of all publicly-owned assets and change the face of further education.
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Cities Minister Greg Clark
Control over transport budgets will also be given to council leaders, who will no longer need to seek Whitehall approval for individual schemes.
The money is coming not from government but from borrowing by the councils – allowed for the first time – from private investment and by allowing rates paid by businesses to be kept and spent in the city and surrounding area.
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The recently-created Local Enterprise Partnership put together a wish list with the city council and its four neighbouring unitary authorities, aimed at dragging the city out of recession.
Details of the City Deal were due to be announced today during a ministerial visit to Bristol.
But Cities Minister Greg Clark has already told the Post: "I expect this is the breakthrough that is needed for the Greater Bristol Metro."
At the centre is the Metro project, which was the subject of a £100 million funding bid to the government last month.
It includes reinstating passenger trains from Bristol to Portishead and new stations in Horfield, Ashley Down and Saltford.
The Post understands that the Local Enterprise Partnership – the body in charge of bringing jobs and investment to the city and surrounding area – will be given the power to keep hold of the business rates for the recently opened Enterprise Zone in the Temple Meads area to pay for amenities and infrastructure.
The same will happen at five other "enterprise areas" designated by the LEP at Avonmouth/Severnside, Bath City Riverside, Bristol and Bath Science Park in Emersons Green, Filton Airfield and Junction 21, Weston-super-Mare.
A property board or company will be created to take control of publicly-owned assets. The aim will be to make better use out of public buildings in order to raise extra cash.
A new combined transport authority will be created to control and run public transport across the greater Bristol area, covering buses, trains, the new Rapid Transit System and even the ferries on the Floating Harbour.
The area's four councils will also be given more control over further education, so colleges and schools run vocational style courses better suited to the needs of the business community.
Finally a body will be set up aimed at helping businesses make the most of overseas opportunities.
Last year the Government challenged England's eight largest cities to come up with a bid for new powers that they believe will transform their area. Today the Government will officially confirm that Bristol's City Deal, along with those from other cities including Leeds and Newcastle, has been accepted.
It will see the city council and South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath & North East Somerset, together known as the West of England Partnership, handed control of 10 years' transport funding.
They will retain the receipts from business rates that come as a result of the economic growth – under the current system the cash is returned to Whitehall which redistributes it across the country.
Mr Clark said: "Their argument was that if they could invest significantly in the infrastructure and the transport infrastructure there, they should be able to retain the growth that comes from that, then reinvest it so it gets into a virtual cycle of Bristol becoming more and more prosperous and being able to reinvest more."
Describing the arrangement as a "very innovative deal", Mr Clarke said: "This is to make happen an investment that would not otherwise happen."
It will be for local leaders to decide whether to spend some of the money on an arena for Bristol, he said.
Comments
by Munchkjn
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 12:12PM
“I am moving back down to Bristol from the Manchester area. Having experienced the Manchester rail network for a year, I was impressed by the amount of services and interconnections, You can get a train to almost any town/village for a 20 mile radius of the city. it is a shock to the system to return to such a poorly served city as Bristol. It is definitely time to bring the South West up to standard with the rest of the country. I know Manchester is perhaps roughly twice as big but their transport network is another order of magnitude.
I am considering moving to Saltford or Long Ashton, provided the rail connections transpire. It is shame rail has not found (Beeching cuts aside) such isolated places as Radstock, Clevedon, Wells, Shepton Mallet, Corsham, Thornbury, Chew Valley, Airport etc.. etc..”
by Bert_Hindle
Monday, July 09 2012, 4:07PM
“Like the one in The Simpsons? :D”
by DazzyBoy
Monday, July 09 2012, 4:03PM
“Monorail would be the best solution!”
by Bert_Hindle
Monday, July 09 2012, 2:44PM
“I'm inclined to agree with others here. The Bus Rapid Transit seems more and more ill-concieved every time I look at it, and I'd hope the new WoE transport executive ("Transport for Greater Bristol / TfGB" anyone?) would have the good sense to look at it *very* carefully before making any rash decisions.
It is great that the local authorities can borrow money to finally sort out the Bristol transport crisis, but they've got to look to places like Nottingham, who do it well (and whatever happens, no more reliance on First Group!).
People have mentioned trams a few times, but they really only become cost effective if there is already some disused rail infrastructure there, as in Manchester. Otherwise, they are prohibitively expensive because of all the utility diversions they require. A much cheaper, quicker and still clean and modern alternative is trolleybuses - regarded by councils as an antiquity for too long, but actually a very good, modern solution. Take note, TfGB!!”
by katachua
Sunday, July 08 2012, 5:27PM
“This is a brilliant idea, but let's cancel the "BRT" bendybus now and use the line for a Metro route.”
by katachua
Sunday, July 08 2012, 5:21PM
“Now watch Sustrans do its utmost to block these proposals...”
by KBillies
Saturday, July 07 2012, 8:42PM
“Credit to Tim Kent”
by postscripter
Saturday, July 07 2012, 8:24AM
“I wonder how many councillors and their favourite consultants are already rubbing that hands with glee at the thought of diverting a lot of this money into awarding their friends contracts and siphoning cash into their own back pockets through various corrupt fiddles? And then we'll be reading headlines of overspends and cash shortages......”
by Pipsbeard
Friday, July 06 2012, 11:43AM
“by Banjo9
Thursday, July 05 2012, 8:33PM
."Why praise Tim Kent the man has been almost useless, reliant on the barmy bendy bus
the Transport Alliance are the people who have promoted this Mr Wood and co need recognition !"
They don't need recognition, they need certifying.”
by Banjo9
Thursday, July 05 2012, 8:33PM
“Why praise Tim Kent the man has been almost useless, reliant on the barmy bendy bus
the Transport Alliance are the people who have promoted this Mr Wood and co need recognition !”